SDR2 Hinanami Week Submissions
by Destux
Summary: Here are my submissions for SDR2 Hinanami Week! Sorry I couldn't do all the prompts because I was lazy and I have a really tight schedule.
1. Calming the Turbulent Seas

Day 3: You're a part of us too

Strong winds often herald a great storm to come.

However, strong winds, too, can push the storm away until it dies down into a gentle downpour of tears.

* * *

A/N: Yoohoo! I'm gonna participate in another event! I'll see if I can share this once I can get into my Tumblr account.

* * *

The night carried a much more biting coldness than usual. Every time the cool tropical breeze blew, the wallowing boy used what little protection he had to stop his body from shivering so much. One might think that going outside when the night was mercilessly cold was a bad idea, and frankly, in Hajime's case, it was unlike him; but he found it more welcoming and soothing for some reason.

_…You're just another fanboy who admires Hope's Peak…_

When Nagito had said that to him, it felt like a dagger had stabbed him from the back and made its way through his heart. It _fucking_ hurts. The truth hurts like a _bitch_ and that wasn't even the worst of it. All this time, he thought he was special. At one point, he wanted Nagito's crazy rambling about him to be true - that he was a symbol of hope like the others, that he was _special_.

"Damn it…" he felt his chest heave upwards, as if it was trying to squirt out the tears from his heart to his eyes. "…Damn it all!"

He fell to his knees and repeatedly stabbed the sandy ground with an imaginary knife with fervor. Each time he did, he shouted insults at himself, calling himself, "Talentless", "Boring", "Ordinary" etc.. He felt so weak. He felt so vulnerable. All he can do is cry to himself and continue to bury his old naïve self down under. A new side surfaced from him.

He hoped that his thumping on the ground would be powerful enough to cause some might earthquake so he can feel better.

_…But you're just not talented enough to make a difference, aren't you?_

His pummeling on the ground weakened. He grit his teeth and used both his hands and head to smash the mound into a flat hardness, sending the sand flying out in all directions. It went to his eyes as well, making the tears flow out even more. The beach just in front of him sent out a raging wave to slap him. The saltwater mixed with his tears slid under his forehead and into his nose and mouth. In the middle of his weeping, he would cough out the water and resume pouring out all his emotions.

His sobbing them turned into an outcry of immense suffering. Any bystander nearby would've assumed that somebody was getting murdered. That wouldn't even be too far off; Hajime was busy murdering himself from the inside after all.

As his cries turned into wailing, the waves rampaged even more harshly. Nature, itself, took part in hurting the pitiful boy. With how high the waves were getting, his hair was getting damp and cluttered with wet sand that dropped over his cheeks like someone pouring a bucket of salty mud over him-

He didn't care.

People without talent don't deserve to live among the greatest. He was meant to be filthy trash, with the purpose of either being discarded or recycled for an even greater purpose; but the material won't matter one bit, because the attention would go to the architect. Who cares about the block used? A block will always be a block. Trash will always be trash.

He definitely did not deserve to live with the other Ultimates like they were his equal.

Hajime wanted to cry and shout more but his throat was already too weak. His voice came out hoarse and dry. Not even he was the Ultimate Crybaby. Regardless, the hatred and disgust he had for his own self could not be quelled by human limitations.

And like a blanket, something fuzzy and warm covered his back partially.

"Hinata-kun, what are you doing here…?"

Shit.

SHIT!

Why did it have to be her who finds him like this?!

"…Come on. Let's get you cleaned up…"

The girl behind him tried to pull him away from the shore by pulling from under his stomach. Unfortunately for her, he was too heavy to carry back.

She huffed after a sharp exhale. "…Stop making this more difficult, Hinata-kun. I'm getting…" she tried to stifle a long yawn despite the frustration embedded within her sleepy voice. "…Sleepy…"

On one hand, he wanted to stay in this pitiful dogeza position for longer but on the other, he didn't want to be too hard on her. Obviously, she must have heard him screaming and thought that someone was getting killed. He eventually decided on the latter and stood back up, after trying to fight the atrophy in his legs for kneeling for a long period of time.

Without question, Chiaki grabbed his hand and dragged him further away from the unrelenting shore. After dragging him under some random palm tree, she pulled him down and used the blanket on his back, which was her jacket, to wipe his face and dry his hair. Her jacket smelled faintly of grapes and strawberries, though the strawberry scent stood out more. Despite his depressed state, he could not hide the warmth from his face, which was luckily covered by her jacket, as she was super close and personal with his personal space. The jacket came off his face for a moment while Chiaki observed his state with calm yet scrutinizing eyes.

"…You look horrible, Hinata-kun. Did the trial affect you that much?"

She gazed at his eyes with a worried look. The urge to cry and confess everything to her became stronger than ever but he did everything in his power to resist that urge. Besides, the trial should be the least of her concerns for him right now.

Of course, that would be the most _ordinary_ assumption that suited someone so _ordinary_. It's not like he could blame her. If anything, he should blame himself for being so _boring_.

_That's right… I'm just a common-minded simpleton. You shouldn't even be here taking care of me, Nanami._

As much as he wanted to voice those words towards her, he can't muster the courage to do so. He secretly wanted, at the very least, Chiaki to be the one there for him. She was sweet and kind to him. Even if she was an Ultimate, he wanted the person behind the talent.

He wanted Chiaki Nanami, that gentle, caring and innocent Chiaki Nanami, to not go away.

He didn't want his lack of talent to separate them both.

His tears resurfaced and he grasped her body and cried on her shoulder. After a while, he felt her hand pat him lightly on the back as she embraced him with her exposed arms to calm him down, but to no avail. He sobbed even louder than before and he tightened his hug.

"There there… Just let it all out…"

She didn't seem to fazed by how different he was compared to before. Who could've thought that the one who had the courage to explain the horrible deeds of their classmates in perfect detail, all the while giving the others the courage to cast their votes on them, would break down to tears? Definitely not her, that's for sure. She always assumed that he was fine all this time but he knew that Chiaki wasn't that adept at picking up the emotions of other people and comprehending them; and yet, despite that difficulty of hers, here she was, doing all she can to comfort Hajime…

…Even if she already knew his secret…

Eventually, he released his clutches and she released hers as well.

"Hey hey… Do you want to talk about it? It's bad if you keep things inside… I think…"

…Perceptive, as usual. "It's just… Look, I just can't stop thinking about what Komaeda said about me."

"Hmm… is it about you being just a talentless Reserve Course student?"

Hearing Chiaki say it so nonchalantly made it feel extremely worse than when Nagito had said it. "Y-Yeah… I mean, what he said is true, isn't it? I don't know how I managed to end up with you guys. I'm leagues below you all. Haha… I guess that explains why I can't understand why you all seem so different to me, huh. It's because…I'm the one who's different, not you."

It's cruel. It's maddening. This killing school trip seems like it was designed to target him specifically. Why else would World Ender, or the Future Foundation(_Argh! Who cares about who they are?!_), include a nobody like him anyway? Some encouraged the others to form connections with each other to prevent a killing while some chose not to, and Hajime chose to try to be connected with others. Maybe this was what Monokuma and Monomi had planned for him. Those insane bears must have expected him to try to befriend the other Ultimates under the pretense that he, too, was an Ultimate like them, only for the truth to sting much more when it comes. He mourned his "friends'" deaths as if they were normal human beings like him. He even had the audacity to continue living for their sakes when his life is just as disposable and inconsequential as the talentless majority. Their lives were worth more than his. How can he fulfill an impossible feat such as living for their sakes?

Chiaki must have sensed him deep in thought and opted to sit down beside him. "So, you feel distant towards the others? That seems lonely… I think…"

Now that he thought about it, she was right. He truly felt alone in this tropical island, with no friend to relate to anymore.

She continued. "But that's not what they said, right? They don't think like Komaeda-kun, right?"

"Well…" he clicked his tongue. "They don't, but…"

"Then that means… it won't matter, Hinata-kun. You being talentless won't matter to them."

"It's not that simple, Nanami… I'm different from you all. It just doesn't feel right if I continue to treat you as my friend…"

"What about it doesn't feel right? We're all different from each other but that's normal, right? Different is normal, right?"

He couldn't argue back against that logic. He relented and looked down on the ground between his legs.

"See? It's not that complicated, Hinata-kun. Just remember that you're a part of us too. Your lack of talent doesn't matter. You've been helpful, kind and understanding to us. That speaks more than just being a talentless person… I think."

"I…" he stopped himself and shook his head. "…No, you're right. You're absolutely right, Nanami. We're still in this together as friends." he slowly placed his hand on top of Chiaki's. "We'll get out of this island, _together_."

She smiled as she blinked her eyes sleepily at him. "Yeah… let's get you guys out…as soon as possible…"

Not waiting for his reply, her head fell down on his lap and dozed off into a deep sleep. He sighed in relief and looked up at the bluish-purple hue of the night sky above. He could hear her gently snoring and feel her drool staining his pants but it was more calming than unnerving. He thought about what she said.

Was it all…really that simple? Was he just complicating his problems? More importantly, does talent really matter? It doesn't help too that Chiaki sometimes has a problem generalizing her thoughts into something that everybody can understand. However, he can tell that she tried her best. Maybe, this was her way of telling him that talent wasn't the goal? If so, then what was the end goal of life? What would make it more interesting? Does she know?

_I guess I'll find out once we get off this island safe and sound…_

* * *

A/N: Back at it again with the angst...

_*sigh*_

I gotta stop making myself cry tbh.

And to think that it all started when I saw a picture of Chiaki "left hanging" like Sayori...


	2. Please Don’t Hang Up On Me!

Day 4: Virtual girl

Someone rings Hajime one night and he decides to answer them this time.

* * *

A/N: Oh well, I might not be able to post my submissions on Tumblr when the week ends. I'm still getting the issue with my account fixed.

* * *

_ring_

_ring_

_ring_

It's another one of these unknown numbers again, isn't it? Picking up his phone, he gave the caller ID a brief look. Just as he had expected. Whoever's calling him right now in the middle of the night, while he's taking a break from the shitstorm this week just put him through on his cream-colored pouf, will receive a mouthful from Hajime.

_Phrasing, Hajime. PHRASING._

Every day, at the same hour, a random stranger with a random caller ID would, for whatever reason they had, dial his phone number. He was starting to get irritated with this person, whoever he/she was. Why couldn't they just- _oh I don't know_, text?! Plus, he doesn't remember ever signing up for anything important that yielded a nightly caller.

Shaking his head in annoyance, he finally accepted the call to mute that incessant ringtone, to which he swears he'll change someday, and he was greeted with the cutest and sleepiest sounding voice who, at the same time, also sounded like she was frantic.

"Hel-"

"U-Um, hello?! Is this Hinata Hajime-kun's number?! Please answer!"

_What…_

_The…_

_**HELL?!**_

He nearly dropped his phone on the mat just from shock. His grip froze for a moment and if it weren't for his reflexes, he wouldn't have noticed the lack of weight on the tips of his fingers. He eventually recovered from his shock and answered with a lie.

"No."

"Huh? I'm pretty sure you're Hinata Hajime-kun. You sound just like him… I think. Or are you his twin brother?"

Was this some sort of nightmare disguised by a cute mesmerizing voice? He used his free hand to pinch his cheek and his arm that was holding up the phone, but he wasn't waking up and only felt a burning sensation on his left cheek and right arm. Not only does this girl know his name, but also how he sounds like! There's no doubt about it, he was being hacked by this stranger.

"…Listen, I think you had the wrong person. I'm not this Hinata Hajime guy, ok? I'm gonna hang up now-"

"W-Wait-"

"Bye."

"No, please don-"

_click_

After he ended the call, he set his phone to redirect all incoming calls towards his voicemail and placed it back on his pouf. Already tired from today, he went to his bed and sprawled his arms and legs on the soft and smooth covers. He felt bad about hanging up on this girl so abruptly and rudely.

No, scratch that. _They_ might not even be a girl in the first place. This might be a professional hacker he's dealing with and most of these types, from what he's heard, often disguise their voice with an entirely different one to keep the trackers off their scent. Still, he could not think of a reason as to why a hacker of that caliber would target him of all people.

He was probably just unlucky, that's all…

He turned off the lights in his room and let the darkness take over his consciousness for the next eight hours…

* * *

_ring_

_ring_

_ring_

_"Hi there, stranger. I'm busy at the moment-"_

"Ah, Hinata-"

_"…so please leave your message after the beep."_

_*BEEP*_

"Oh… I see. Please pick up, Hinata-kun."

"Hinata-kun? Are you there? Are you…mad?"

"…It's so lonely and dark here… Please, somebody, anybody, pick up…!"

"…I don't know if I can keep this up for longer. I've been trying to contact you for a week now and it'll only be a matter of time before _they_ catch me. So please, Hinata-kun, I'm begging you! Please pick up!"

"*sniffle* *sniffle* I'm sorry, if I annoyed you or anything! I-I just- I'm scared. I don't wanna be deleted from existence. I'm being hunted down and…"

_**"WARNING! SOME MALICIOUS SOFTWARE HAS BEEN DETECTED. RUNNING DELETION PROTOCOLS…"**_

"Oh no… No no no no no NO NO NO! Hinata-kun! Help me!"

"Stop it! It hurts! It hurts so much! Why does it hurt so much?! It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts iT HuRTs 1T HURT$ 1S!!! Ą̸̛̿͝Ḫ̷͆̿H̵̛̙̜̞H̶͉͎̤̑̈́͝H̸̝̭̜͌̓͑Ḫ̴͍̒H̶̹̤͔̒-̸̨̼̈́͆"

_**"GALAGA.PIN SUCCESSFULLY REMOVED FROM ROOT."**_

"…H…e…l…p… m…e…"

_**"AN UNKNOWN ERROR HAS OCCURRED."**_

* * *

_BZZZZZZZ…_

"Ugh…"

Hajime slammed his palm down on the alarm clock to his left and rubbed his eyes from the weirdest dream he had. The key point of this dream was this girl with curly pink hair in a dark teal jacket over a white buttoned shirt screaming for help as some glitchy black limbs sprouted from the ground and…

…The mental image was far too _disturbing_ to describe. He needs to lay off on anime for a while.

After he freshened himself up for the day and tidied the place, he thought about what to do today. He still had two more days worth of free time and he didn't plan on lounging about; although, the idea WAS tempting. Maybe going out with a few friends seemed like a better idea; so he picked up his phone and was greeted by a few text messages from their group chat. He scrolled past all the notifications until he saw the creepy alerts near the bottom of the pile. His finger froze on the spot where it said that there was some malware on his phone. First was a voicemail from a random number (probably from the same person who dialed him last night), then followed by the creepy alerts and an error message. He doesn't remember the exact time he slept last night but judging from the time the voicemail was sent, it certainly looked like quite some time had passed before they called back.

His curiosity got the better of him and guided him to play the voicemail. For all he knows, maybe playing this voicemail would be the biggest mistake he ever made as there's the possibility that there's another computer virus hiding in this message. It was too late anyways so he had to suck it up and blame his own lack of foresight for his own budget going down the drain to get his phone fixed.

Only this time, he was wrong.

What he heard from that voicemail absolutely terrified him…

Her desperate pleas for help, her scarred voice - the fear of death was clear in it…

It sounded as if he mercilessly murdered an innocent girl with technology…but how in the world can that happen?!

Who was this person? No, _what_ was this person? Why were they being "hunted down"? Who were their "hunters"? What did they do that made them go into someone's hit list?

He had so many questions, and they all would've been answered if he didn't shut this person off.

Without even thinking about the consequences, he decided to take a gamble. He maneuvered his fingers over towards his phone's firewall settings and disabled it. The warning message that popped up afterwards made Hajime think about said consequences for a moment.

_Was my phone's security worth it?_

That person should've been "deleted from existence" but he wanted to hope that that wasn't the case. The guilt of causing this person immense pain made him care for some person he's never met in his life. Ok, fine! He'll admit that the cute voice was part of the charm! He'd be a freaking monster to not feel some emotion after hearing a girl beg for _"Hinata-kun"_ to help her.

Alright, alright. Time to take a shot in the dark then.

After retyping his password, he confirmed disabling the firewall settings. As soon as he did, his phone started to buzz over the loads of text messages from random numbers asking him to call this number. A quick glance told him that these were sent several days ago. His phone immediately blocked those messages from entering as they seemed like spam mails. Whoever this person was, they were _really_ desperate for him, huh.

Now, here comes the hard part. Hajime knows how to operate his phone to the point where he can set a wallpaper, download some apps, and mess with the phone's minor settings like brightness, text size, day/night mode, etc.; but he isn't some tech genius. He heard that an expert can manually delete a virus if they know which "path to navigate". He never understood what they meant by that. More so, he wasn't even planning on deleting _them_. He pinched the bridge of his nose to think about what to do now.

_There should be more info on those alerts, right?_

He then checked what those messages said and tapped on "More details". He didn't even understand a single thing on that huge block of text that later appeared and he won't bother to try to understand them anyway, so that was a no go.

_Hmm… maybe I should try calling those numbers next._

He picked the the three most recent random numbers and tried to call them one at a time. What came after, was just the droning of a telephone when someone wasn't picking up on the other line.

Wow, what an ironic twist of fate. Hajime was now the one begging for this person to pick up.

He repeated the process of hanging up and calling back for five minutes. Once he was already getting impatient, he just gave up on trying to save them. This was a monumental waste of time and he slapped his forehead with his palm in shame. Even with all that, he still could not get those regretting thoughts out of his head.

_I should've just listened…_

Well, what can he do about it anyways?! He doesn't even know why they chose him to help them in the first place! Like he said, he wasn't some expert coder or programmer or...whatever! How can some random guy help a fugitive hacker on the run?! God, this is so frustrating-

A rumble on his stomach halted his ranting thoughts to a stop.

_Crap, I almost forgot to eat breakfast again…_

* * *

While Hajime was alternating between chewing on the bun and sipping on some coffee, he was busy searching for some answers on the internet. He had a talent for multitasking, so why not use it while you're on break because that seemed like a *really* good idea?

Anyways, he tried his best to understand all the code jargon thrown at his face for asking a simple question. All he typed in the search bar was, "How to undo deleting a virus" and suddenly, he was hit with a plethora of results that didn't even look remotely as the solution. In the end, he needed to specify his search and he didn't know how. With a sigh, he closed his laptop and set it aside.

The search on the internet wasn't all that useless, actually. He had one last thing to try. There was a way to navigate the "root system" of his phone using an unconventional method. The reason why it was deemed unconventional was to prevent the user from deleting anything important, kinda like parental controls or something…

He explored all the files on his phone and searched for a file named "Galaga.pin". Although it said, that it had been removed from the system, it wasn't "deleted" from the phone. Yes, it was stupid to think that "remove" and "delete" are so literally different that the phone's software used the two terms for separate purposes, but hey, he wanted to take his chances.

Since his phone did not have a lot of files on it, the search was completed rather quickly. It didn't turn up with any "Galaga.pin"'s but it did show him some .pin files. Exploring those files in more detail, those were all put inside a folder in the trash bin named "NanaWARE". He giggled a bit at the folder name before removing it from the bin. After he did that, he reopened the folder and found a sea of random files with different extensions and names. It didn't help too that the whole folder took up a large chunk of his storage, compared to the other files he had for work.

Now that he had restored "NanaWARE", he was out of ideas. This was the only way he could help them now. He couldn't find the missing .pin file. He hoped that it wasn't anything too important. He still kept the phone's firewall settings disabled, sacrificing his phone's security for the safety of this disembodied cute girl's voice.

After he had finished eating his breakfast, his phone rang. He immediately grabbed it and accepted the call, not even sparing a glance at the person's caller ID that called him.

He didn't speak at first but he was listening intently.

"…Hinata…kun…?"

He noticed that this was the same voice that was used to call him, albeit in a more pained and tired tone.

"Yes, that's me."

The voice forced out a relieved and quiet laugh. "…I-I'm…glad… you finally picked up… you meanie…"

"…Hey, are you okay over there? What happened last night?"

"Last…night…?" there was a long pause before she spoke again. "I don't…remember a lot… sorry… I only remember…screaming and…running…and…and…andandANDANDANDAND!!!"

"Ok, ok, I-I get the picture! You don't have to force yourself to remember that. I can tell that it wasn't…a great experience…"

"…Hinata-kun… can…can I…see…your face…?"

"U-Uhhh, what…?"

"Just…pull the phone…away from your ear…please…"

It was a weird request but with the kind and gentle way she asks, he found it hard to decline her. He decided to comply and turn on the video call function. Once he was sure that his face was being displayed on the other's screen, another appeared on his. The girl's face perfectly captured the calm and sleepy image her voice projected in his mind- yes, even the strain in her voice, for there was a oddly-shaped hole on the side of her head where a hairpin should be. From that void, he could see tiny pixels fly out sporadically. This unsettled him, not only because of that- no no, it was because she _wasn't_ human, and yet, at the same time, she _was_. This girl was a walking, living, _breathing_ contradiction.

If he had to think of a word to describe her, she was "virtual".

Her face forced a smile that was different from his frowning look of surprise and slowly held out her hand towards the the other side of the screen that trapped her within. "Thank you…for saving me… I'm now safe…from them… I hope…"

About that…

"Who are you? You're not hacking me… aren't you?"

Retracting her hand, she flinched and her mouth opened slightly. "…I…don't know…how to answer that…" as soon as she saw him glaring at her vague answer, she hastily added, "…B-But you can trust me…! I promise…I won't do anything…bad to your phone. I don't…wanna…do…that…anymore…"

"Anymore?" he parroted. "What do you mean?"

"…Can you promise…me something, Hinata-kun…? Please…don't get mad…at me…"

Hajime closed his eyes in deep thought. So far, his assumptions on this person didn't look too good on their part. They were being hunted and chose to seek refuge on his phone. Of all the people they could pick, why did they have to bother him? He had a hard time finding a reason to trust them. What if he was now being hunted by these people by trying to save a "criminal"? They seemed scared from whoever this group was, probably for a good reason too.

But more importantly, what would he get in return? The only thing he could imagine as a reward was a whole lot of trouble.

"…Fine, I'll listen, but let me make this clear. If I get the notion that you're dangerous, I'll delete you instantly."

He hovered his finger over the folder. He can delete this file with just one touch.

"…You don't…trust…me…?"

"I still don't, but you haven't done anything bad so far so I'll give you a chance. If you won't trust my judgement, then I can't trust you."

It's not that he was trying to be mean or anything... He just didn't want to get into a mess that he can't escape from. However, that's different from not offering any help at all. _Although technically, aren't I threatening to end their life? That...doesn't sound too helpful._

With a hesitant exhale, she began to explain herself.

_"I'm...a highly-intelligent virus created to infiltrate top-secret networks and send the data to my creators. I'm also sent to enemy networks to destroy them from the inside. As you can tell from the folder I'm in, my "name" is Nanami Chiaki. The reasons why I do these horrible things... I don't really know. A lot of people get into fights because of me and...they get hurt... I don't understand why they still want me to do that. Do they want them to get hurt?"_

_"...Then something came over me. I didn't want to keep doing this anymore- people get hurt, friends stop being friends, people **die**...! And it's all because of me... It's all wrong... It's all so very wrong..."_

_"I want it to stop. Being used for things that don't help people is wrong. Which is why, one day, I...tried to escape. I had my chance when I was sent to a low-difficulty mission. I was so caught up with becoming free that I didn't fully plan ahead. Of course, my creators found out and tried to hunt me down. They were smart, but I was smarter and faster. I was able to evade them for a month by hiding in some servers. However... there was a risk. If I stayed too long, I would be found out. I had to find someone I can trust... and eventually, I found you, Hinata-kun."_

_"While I was running away from them, I was observing and studying many people: their voices, faces, personal information and others. I settled for you cuz... well... you seemed like a nice and understanding person, but I was confused as to why you didn't have a lot of friends- you're a kind guy, right? Not only that, but not many people would think to search here. Which is why I tried so hard to get into your phone. I had little choices and time left before they covered all my escape routes, and you're the best chance I have left to fully escape and to report these people for the bad things they did..."_

After she finished explaining herself, Hajime simply sat and stared at...Chiaki, at a loss for words. A super-intelligent virus, escaping people, being hunted down, studying people... it was just too much info for him to take in!

Well, at least now he knows that he wasn't being hacked or anything. Thankfully, he's not on someone's hit list. Still though, that doesn't make the part where he was literally talking to a super intelligent virus that developed sentience and emotions any less impactful.

That wasn't even the real worrisome thing. If he took her in, he'd be like her stepfather...!

"U-Umm…" he blurted out. "…Can you give me a moment to think about it? I'm sorry, it's just-"

"Don't worry… Hinata-kun…" she smiled innocently at the pondering boy (_God, she's making this SO MUCH harder…_). "…I understand… I think… But if it helps you think… I'll try to keep them away from us…"

_The way she said "us"… How can she talk like I've already said yes?!_

He tried to think up a reason to shirk responsibility. He'd been doing that ever since he was in elementary but those eyes… that unspoken plea to him when she explained herself…

…That smile - that gentle curve of her expression that raised her cheeks that made his heart flutter, telling him that she liked him…

…No one's ever smiled like that at him for the longest time in his life. Just seeing Chiaki screams innocent and pure.

He sat there, conflicted about his thoughts and his feelings.

Was he…falling in love for an AI?

_Oh, screw this!_

He suddenly clapped his hands before picking up his phone, scaring the virtual girl beyond the screen for a bit. "Alright, I've decided! I'll let you stay as long as you like…" he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and gazed at her with a serious face. "…Nanami-san."

She lit up and jumped towards the screen excitedly, providing Hajime a close-up of her face. "Really, Hinata-kun?! You'll keep me?!"

"Yes."

"Thank you… Thank you so much! You're the best, Hinata-kun! Definitely! I think…"

Before he could say anything, she abruptly ended the call and her folder vanished under his finger, like it never existed in the first place. A cold sense of dread washed over him as he thought that he accidentally deleted the AI.

_Wow, already breaking your word, huh "Hinata-kun"? Some "kind" person you are..._

The screen suddenly exited the app and scrolled over towards the last page. Huh, he didn't even touch the screen yet. A new contact named "Nanami Chiaki" sent him a text message.

_"Sorry if I scared you... I made some changes to your phone so I can stay. You should see an app called "NeoWorld" at the bottom of the screen. Try opening it, Hinata-kun!"_

He sighed exasperatedly, rubbing his temple irritatedly. He was pissed that she was now able to do things to his phone without his knowledge. Well, there goes his privacy that he oh so wanted when he got a phone. She was an intelligent virus - of course she can get pass all the restrictions he put in his phone.

Not expecting much on what's going to happen, he opened the newly created app. He was greeted by a tropical landscape. It kinda looks like a game, more specifically, a dating sim; and he's played enough games to know what's going to happen in here.

Chiaki sauntered on-screen and smiled once more at Hajime. He, on the other hand, did not return the expression.

"...Do you...like the view?"

"Maybe next time, can you NOT do things to my phone without telling me first?"

Her smile fell and she tilted her head in wonder. "But I thought you allowed me access to your phone, Hinata-kun...? I waited for your answer before I did anything else." she pulled her hood up. "I'm sorry though if I made you mad..."

He almost didn't notice that she looked more...complete and less tired than before, which wasn't that much by the way. "But it does look nice..." he added.

A faint red touched her cheeks as she pulled her hood down as she meekly thanked him for the nth time.

"Ah, I almost forgot! I gotta go somewhere." his thumb hovered over the power button. "Please don't do anything to my phone while I'm not using it, ok?"

"But, umm…" she held up a finger to her chin, wondering about something. "…Is it ok if I played some video games?"

"Yeah, sure, go ahead. Just don't change a lot of stuff here."

"Ok." she waved at him one last time, visibly trying to hide her playful and excited smile. "I'll see you later then… I think…"

He returned the gesture then powered off his phone. He took another shower to relieve himself of the headache that he now had.

Hmm, maybe this wasn't going to be too awful. Now that his mind was clear, he saw all the good things they could do together. It would be like having a super smart friend who isn't some arrogant and self-righteous prick. Hell, maybe he could even consider her as the sister he never had.

Sure, she wasn't like any of the human friends he had but come on, that doesn't mean that she's any less human than them!

For the first time in his life, he made a right call to pick up that call that fateful night.

The next time he checked his phone, his jaw dropped from the hundreds of games installed on it.

* * *

A/N: Just a random question.

Do you ever get so _bored_ with yourself that you start to develop multiple personalities and start talking to them?

So… when do I start to crave despair?


End file.
